


Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

by Doodlelupin



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mentioned Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Trains, if you squint lol, its mainly just martin and tim discussing their (read:my) music tastes, martim if you wanna read it like that (i do lol), this is entirely self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28059765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodlelupin/pseuds/Doodlelupin
Summary: Martin's never been a big fan of trains. At least this time he has someone to help him through it.(Basically just Martin getting called out for being gay and Tim getting called out for having a weird taste in music. There is minimal mention of Cats the musical and no mention of Skimbleshanks but they do discuss musicals on a train so. Actually now i suppose starlight express would have been a more fitting title but I also like Skimbleshanks and have not listened to starlight express so...it is what it is.)
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

**Author's Note:**

> ok i wasnt kidding when i said its very self indulgent this is literally just a conversation i feel like theyd have but is also not an incredibly interesting story haha this is 1000% written for me but if you enjoy it too then thats great!

Tim glanced over at Martin. His hands were folded in his lap, his eyes firmly closed. At every jostle of the train, his brow furrowed further and his knuckles grew white from folding his hands so tightly. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. He looked terrified.

Tim put a hand on top of Martin’s folded hands. He jumped, clearly not expecting the contact. Tim pulled out his headphones. Martin slipped one of his hands out from under Tim’s and followed suit. 

“Are you alright?” Tim asked gently. Martin looked incredibly embarrassed.

“I’m-I’m...yeah, I’m totally fine.” He laughed awkwardly. A very poor attempt at lying.

“Martin…” Tim coaxed. Martin sighed.

“Fine. I’m- I don’t like trains, alright? Well it’s not- I don’t hate trains all the time, I just- sometimes I get it in my head that we’re going to crash and I know- look, I know it’s not- I know it doesn’t happen often, or whatever, but I- I can't stop thinking about it and so every movement feels like it’s…”

“Feels like the train is about to crash.” Tim finished.

“Yeah.” Martin breathed. He seemed relieved to have gotten it off his chest. He winced as the train jerked. Tim squeezed his hand.

“Is there any way I can help? Would talking be a good distraction?”

“It’s not- It isn’t that big a deal, I mean, if you’re enjoying your music-”

“Answer the question, Martin.” Tim said dryly.

“It...it might, yeah.” His response was shy.

“Pick a topic, then.” Tim said. He put his headphones into his pocket with an air of finality.

“I- um. I don’t know. What would...you...like to talk about?” Martin stammered. Tim decided to let him off the hook on this one.

“Well, what were you listening to?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s a band that...makes...music…”

“Martin, come on. That was the most suspicious answer you could’ve possibly given.”

“Ok, it’s just not like-It’s not good.”

“Let me hear it.”

“What? No!”

“Yeah, lemme hear it.” Tim grabbed one of the ear buds before Martin could protest too much. “Hit play.” Martin’s face flushed.

“Let me at least find something by them you might like.” he scrolled frantically through his playlist, the screen tilted away so Tim couldn’t read it. He tried to lean closer so he could see the artist but Martin leaned further away.

“Okay, don’t...judge me.”

“Martin. I was just listening to EDM.” Tim grinned at Martin’s laugh.

“Okay, okay.” He rolled his eyes and finally hit play.

The song started with a guitar riff that repeated a few times before the rest of the instruments kicked in, exploding with sound. It was very high energy, the vocals rough and verging on screamo. Tim was both shocked and impressed.

“What do you mean ‘not good’?” he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Well, the vocals aren’t like, polished or anything.”

“They’re not supposed to be, this song wouldn’t sound half as good if they were.”

“I- I mean, yeah.” Martin smiled with relief. Tim hated that Martin was so hesitant to share his interests. He knew he probably didn’t have people who wanted to listen very often. Tim wanted it to be crystal clear he was a person who wanted to listen.

Tim nodded along to the song, grinning when the song drew to a close with some fast drums and a scream.

“That was great, Martin.” He pulled the earbud out of his ear, holding it out to him. Martin took it, pulling his own out and stuffing them back in his pocket. “Didn’t take you for the screamo type.” Martin laughed sheepishly.

“Yeah, I like higher energy music when I’m anxious. I listen to...pretty much everything?”

“Wait, let’s play a game. Guess an artist and I’ll say if I listen to them or not, and then I’ll do the same for you.”

“God, ok. Well obviously ABBA.”

“Obviously. That’s cheating though, I play them in the office all the time.”

“It is  _ not _ , it‘s not my fault you feel the need to irritate Elias like that.”

“Fine, fine. Hm.” Tim hummed in thought. “Hozier.”

“If anything, that’s cheating. I mean look at me, obviously I listen to Hozier.” Martin laughed. Tim grinned.

“Queen.”

“Ok that’s too obvious, go for something less obvious. Who doesn’t listen to Queen?”

“Fair point, hm.” Martin tapped his fingers on his knee, thinking hard.

“Lemon Demon.”

“I- yeah? How-” Tim stammered, surprised.

“Chaotic energy?” Martin shrugged, equally surprised he was correct.

“Okay. Alan Menken.” Tim said slyly.

“Alan- everyone knows Alan Menken-”

“Aha! You’re incorrect. Everyone knows Alan Menken’s  _ work _ , but it takes either a dedicated theatre kid or an intense Disney fanatic to recognise it by name.”

“Oh, is that so? Sondheim.”

“Basic,” Tim mocked. “But yeah. Frank Loesser.”

“Um. Yeah.” Martin shifted in his seat uncomfortably. What was that about? He looked like he wanted to change the subject. “Starkid.”

“Yeah! Hang on, do you like Starkid?”

“Their newer ones are pretty good.”

“But Starship is a classic!”

“Mm, it's not really for me.”

“I’m gonna convert you.”

“You can try.” Martin thought for a moment. “Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

“Oh, don’t get me started on Mr. _ Starlight Express _ . Jon says he’s better than Sondheim.”

“Better than Sondheim?!”

“Right? He’ll just glare at you if you mention it to him sober but when he’s drunk? ‘Sondheim’s style is repetitive and irritating’ this and ‘Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs are more thematically varied’ that.”

“Cats. He’s licking the boots of the man who wrote Cats.”

“That’s what I said! Sasha doesn’t contribute to the conversation- she's too much of a normie.” Tim rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. “You’ve gotta come to our next pub night and back me up on this.”

“Oh-uh-yeah! Of-of course!” Martin spluttered, clearly caught off guard by the invitation.

“Okay, okay, back to the serious stuff.” Tim feigned a stern expression. “Jonathan Larson.”

“Of course, Rent’s a classic. You like...Heathers, whoever that’s by.”

“Indeed I do.” Tim nodded. He looked Martin up and down. “I- I’m going to suggest something that may be controversial so I apologise if I am wrong, but...Dear Evan Hansen.”

Martin hid his face in his hands, laughing. He was too slow to hide the blush creeping onto his face.

“Dear Evan Hansen! Seriously?” Tim cried.

“I- It hit close to home! I don’t know what to tell you.” Martin groaned.

“How old were you when it came out?” Tim pulled Martin’s hands away from his face.

“I don't wanna talk about it.” Martin shook his head, stifling a laugh. “You liked Hamilton, I bet.”

“Hey, that’s different!”

“Is it though?”

“I- well, I guess you’ve sort of got me there.”

“Exactly.”

“Hm. Dave Malloy.”

“No, actually. Never heard any of his.”

“Jon would crucify you for that. He was robbed of his Tonys for  _ your favourite _ -”

“-Shove off.” Martin laughed. “Been on my list, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Okay, very different track-100 gecs.”

“I can’t believe you would insinuate I have such bad taste- but yes, I listen to 100 gecs.” Tim laughed. “You listen to Mitski.”

“Perhaps. Green Day?”

“Yeah, a bit. What was that you played a minute ago?”

“Pretty Handsome Awkward by The Used.”

“Oh, then My Chemical Romance.”

“Indeed. Gorillaz?”

“I do enjoy Gorillaz, yes.” Tim hummed in thought. “How about you tell me the most surprising artist you listen to.”

“You first.”

“Hm. Well I suppose it depends on how well you know me. I think the most surprising thing I listen to is probably…” He thought for a moment before failing to suppress a laugh. “Okay you’re not allowed to judge me for this-Glee.”

“Glee? Like the show, Glee?” Martin cried.

“Yes, like the show Glee.” Tim laughed.

“Why?” Martin squeaked out.

“I- I don’t know! Sasha and I watched an episode as a joke but...they sing classic rock, 2009 hits and musical theatre songs! That’s my exact taste in music, how could I not enjoy it?”

“I guess?” Martin replied, still baffled.

“Alright, you then. What’s your weirdest musical interest?”

“Probably... The Mechanisms?” He replied slowly.

“The Mechanisms? Never heard of them. What kind of music do they play?”

“Sort of...sci-fi sea shanties?”

“What?!” Tim gasped. “Play me something right now.”

“Oh, um...” Martin stammered, his face heating up. He pulled out his phone nonetheless and scrolled through their discography. “All of their albums are based off of like...mythology and there’s like, a whole story to it and stuff-”

“Martin, this sounds simultaneously so lame and so cool.”

“It is, yeah.” he laughed. “Hm. Fairy Tales or Greek Mythology?”

“Whichever song’s your favourite.” Tim replied. Martin thought for a moment.

“I don’t know about ‘ultimate favourite’ or anything but this one's my favourite right now.” He pulled out his headphones and untangled them, handing one earbud over. Tim put it in. Martin hit play. 

The song started out with a soft violin, joined shortly after by a drum that sounded like it was conducting a march. Then the vocals began. It sounded...strangely familiar. Tim looked at Martin, trying to figure out why he knew the tune.

“Recognise it?”

“Yeah, but...from where?” He listened carefully. The pre chorus wasn’t familiar. Nor the chorus. It sounded good though, nice energy. He hadn’t been focusing too hard on the lyrics but it seemed to be a pep talk about a war effort of some kind.

“Hang on, here’s the second verse.” Martin said, holding up a finger. The second verse had the same familiar tune.

“I’ve no idea.”

“Tetris.” Martin grinned. Tim’s jaw dropped as he listened closer and- it was indeed.

“The tetris theme?” He repeated incredulously. Martin laughed.

“Yeah, a lot of their songs use tunes from elsewhere, one of them is House Of The Rising Sun, one of them is Dem Bones-”

“That’s...that’s so good.” Tim shook his head in disbelief. “This song is really good, actually. One of the vocalists, though...Kind of sounds like-”

“Like Jon! Right?”

“Yeah, it’s uncanny!”

“It’s so weird, isn’t it? Here, listen to this one.” He switched the song to a different one that started with said vocalist singing by himself.

“How is that not Jon? They sound  _ identical _ .”

“Right?”

“I mean logically I know it isn’t, I’ve heard his band from uni and it-”

“He was in a band in uni?”

“He was. And you will  _ never _ guess the genre.”

“Um. Classical music. Marching band.”

“You would think, wouldn’t you? But no.  _ Emo _ .”

“Emo!?”

“Emo!”

“There are recordings, right? Please tell me there are recordings.”

“I met his ex once and she had a video I talked her into showing me. They were actually pretty good. Jon almost killed the both of us when he saw what we were watching.”

“God, I need to get my hands on that.”

“Me too. I can only play it over in my head so many times.” Tim sighed wistfully. “For now I suppose we’ll have to satiate ourselves with this dupe.” Martin nodded.

“He even does narration that sounds almost like the way Jon sounds when he’s recording a statement.”

“Does he?” Tim gasped.

“Here,” Martin reached to change the song but Tim grabbed his hand, holding up his other hand to keep him silent. The vocalist was screaming now and he wanted to hear the end of the song. He closed his eyes to take it in, grinning at the manic energy exuding from the music. The song ended with a growl. Tim's hand still rested on Martin's.

“Wow.” 

“Right?” 

Before Tim could say anything more, the train chimed. They peered out the window. They were pulling into the station. 

“Oh, hey! I guess we’re here!” Tim patted Martin’s hand and got to his feet, pulling his bag over his shoulder. He held onto the back of the seat to steady himself as the train pulled to a stop.

“Huh, I guess we are.” Martin replied, a grin creeping onto his face.

“Forgot all about the train?” Tim asked.

“I did. Thanks, Tim.” Martin said earnestly.

“Any time.”

**Author's Note:**

> oh also if you disagree with any of the artists they said they listen to i will require an explanation as to why but i would love to hear your opinions (i dont agree with all of the opinions expressed in this work...i personally am jon in regards to the sondheim alw debate, for instance) anyway hope u liked :)
> 
> (and no jarchivist is not in the mechs in this one they just both happen to exist in this universe and sound very similar)


End file.
